Tag: rain

Wet and Getting Wetter

A male cinnamon teal swims during a heavy downpour at Long Lake in Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Ridgefield, Washington on December 23, 2015. Original: _L1A7872.CR2

The new year is kicking off with a Trixie-approved Oregon rain here in the desert. I fell in love with the rain when we lived in the Pacific Northwest and would specifically go out to photograph in it. On this day it rained on and off but for a little while it was absolutely chucking it down. These photos of a cinnamon teal and northern shoveler were taken 18 seconds apart as they fed in Long Lake.

📷: Canon 7D II | Canon 500mm f/4L IS USM + 1.4x III
🗓️: December 23, 2015

A male northern shoveler feeds during a heavy downpour at Long Lake in Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Ridgefield, Washington on December 23, 2015. Original: _L1A7885.CR2

Idyll

A male cinnamon teal sleeps in Long Lake, covered in drops of rain, at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Ridgefield, Washington on June 6, 2010. Original: _MG_9088.CR2

A tranquil scene as a cinnamon teal sleeps on a rainy day at Ridgefield. I remember spending long hours on the auto tour, often sitting in a spot like Long Lake and watching to see what came by, but was surprised when looking back at my journals to see some rainy days I’d stay the entire day. You’d think, given I’m the one living it, I’d be better at remembering the details of my life.

📷: Canon 7D | Canon 500mm f/4 + 1.4x
🗓️: June 6, 2010

It’s Complicated

A young American bullfrog looks out from rain-soaked lily pads at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth, Maine on July 14, 2010. Original: _MG_6722.CR2

I had a complicated relationship with bullfrogs in Oregon as while I loved seeing frogs they were a constant reminder of how much invasive species had permanently altered the ecosystem. When we took a family trip to the other Portland and I saw familiar faces in the ponds, I wondered if I was the only visitor here. I didn’t have a magic computer in my pocket back then but after 15 years I finally looked it up and they are indeed native to Maine.

📷: Canon 7D | Canon 100-400mm
🗓️: July 14, 2010

Damp Defenses

A close-up of saguaro spines covered in drops of rain on January 7, 2024. Originals: _Z729811.NEF to _Z729855.NEF

One of the many nice things about my leave of absence this winter is that if we got a gentle rain I could step outside and soak it in, instead of driving home in it or even worse coming out at the end of the work day and seeing it had rained while I was trapped in the bowels of the building.

📷: Nikon Z 7II | Nikon 105mm macro
🗓️: January 7, 2024

I’ll Take the Rain

Raindrops fall on the head of a red-winged blackbird on the auto tour at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Ridgefield, Washington on October 1, 2017. Original: _DSC0185.ARW

Raindrops accumulate on the head of a red-winged blackbird on a damp day in the Pacific Northwest. Brings back a lot of memories of finding a favorite spot on the auto tour at Ridgefield, rolling down the windows, and reveling in the rain. I didn’t know it at the time but this was my penultimate visit before we left Oregon.

📷: Sony A6500 | Canon 500mm | Canon 1.4X
🗓️: October 1, 2017

The Desert Rain

A close-up view of raindrops on saguaro spines in Scottsdale, Arizona on November 18, 2023. Originals: _Z722632.NEF to _Z722740.NEF

As someone who loved even the ubiquitous rain in Portland, rain in the desert is quite special to me. When I woke to rain last month I waited for it to slow then hurried into the backyard for some macro shots of one of our saguaros. I had to work fast, the spines dry quickly and lose the wonderful colors, a couple have already dried here. The water drops on the skin evaporate quickly and gravity is constantly tugging at the drops dripping from the spines. One day I’ll play around with a watering can to get just the right droplets on my favorite areole, perhaps a fun project for a day when my mobility is limited, but that’s not what I wanted here. I didn’t want a picture of water drops on a saguaro, I wanted a picture of the rain.

📷: Nikon Z 7II | Nikon 105mm macro
🗓️: November 18, 2023